Harrogate Town: 0
THE 2019-20 Buildbase FA Trophy is finely poised at the break.
Danny Scopes’ Concord haven’t played a competitive game since mid-February while Harrogate came into the final on the back of a thrilling 5-4 win over Cambridge United in League Two.
It was the League Two side who had the first opening of the game when defender Will Smith was found in space, but his close range volley was into the hands of Concord keeper Chris Haigh.
Veteran striker Jon Stead then sent a curling shot wide of the post and the Beachboys breathed a bigger sigh of relief on 25 minutes when Jack Muldoon couldn’t get enough power behind his effort from six yards with Haigh sticking his right leg out to divert away.
Concord were appealing for a penalty just after the hour mark when Lamar Reynolds went down in the box under pressure from Smith but referee Peter Bankes was unmoved.
Haigh has been one of the stars of Concord’s Trophy run with some vital penalty saves including in a penalty shoot-out against Leamington and in the quarter-final tie against Royston Town.
And it was the former Heybridge Swifts stopper’s right leg that kept the game level when he reacted brilliantly to keep out Stead’s low shot that took a deflection on its way through.
Harrogate were looking the more threatening but Concord boss Scopes will be pleased with his side’s endeavour to keep the scores level at the break.
